Owolo Santos Owolo, an ex-prison inmate has accused officials of the Nigerian Correctional Centre formerly called Prison of siphoning inmates’ feeding money and not giving them quality food.
He told our correspondent that what inmates eat is half cooked rice and beans.
Owolo who was detained at the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre said, “government gives feeding money of three square meals to the prison authority to feed inmates.
“The prison authority has been siphoning inmates’ feeding money leaving inmates with just a square meal per day.
“That is why inmates come out of prison with sore, malnourished and sick, while the prison officials are there siphoning their feeding money without remorse.”
Another inmate who identified himself as Godwin said hunger and nutrient-lacking food are major challenges facing inmates in the Nigerian Correctional Centre.
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He said, “the period I spent in prison; some days I don’t eat at all because of no food for us. Anybody who depends on the prison authority for feeding will suffer and die of hunger.”
A prison official who spoke with our correspondent at the premises of the Rivers State Judiciary complex on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak to the press said, “it is true that government makes provision for the feeding of inmates.
“But what I don’t know is if the correctional centre officials are siphoning the feeding money meant for inmates or not.
“Concerning feeding inmates with half-cooked food, that one is up to the inmates to complain to us which they haven’t, rather, we see the inmates rushing to eat the food we cook for them.
“Sincerely, there is a food shortage for inmates because of how our facilities have been overstretched with inmates.
“We even need more funding from government and other well-spirited groups and individuals to enable us to take care of the inmates.”
